This was something that happened back when I was still young and pure of heart, when I innocently still believed in the existence of magic and superpowers and was sure that I could eventually punch craters into the school yard if I only did enough training. Tough training was a huge pain in the butt, but I still wanted to try making a super powerful attack, so I decided to try storing up power in my right hand.
Normally, people swing their hands when walking. They also use their hands to hold stuff and move stuff. So then, if I didn’t use my right hand for an entire month, then all the power that would normally get used up in everyday life would get saved up, which would enable me to release all that energy in one go as an incredible attack!
This was an entirely logical concept, a perfect theory that left no room for any counterargument. Suddenly afraid of myself and my revolutionary idea, I decided to keep this terrifying power-up hack to myself to prevent sowing chaos in the world. I proceeded to seal my right hand while prudently keeping my idea to myself.
Why did I only seal my right hand? How am I supposed to live life with both hands sealed, huh?!
Surprisingly, living without using one hand wasn’t as conspicuous as expected. To my surprise, I managed to get through a whole month without anyone noticing. By then, I had already discovered my talent for coming up with perfectly reasonable-sounding excuses, so I had every confidence that even if someone had asked about my hand I would have been able to gloss it over without arousing their suspicion.
I was completely giddy with excitement. Although I didn’t feel power accumulated within my right hand, according to theory there should actually be an enormous store just waiting to be unleashed. Exactly what would happen if I was to release it......!
My original idea had been to destroy the school courtyard, but if I did that then everybody would be out of a place to have PE class. Having come to this realization, I, being the considerate person that I was, went instead to a remote place where no one was around. Then I mustered every scrap of strength in my arm and threw a punch toward the clear, blue sky.
And! Would you believe it!
Nothing happened!
(Like srsly) Y u no work??
However, no matter how much I wailed, reality would not change. Through this experience, I learned the joy of yearning for a superpower, the excitement from putting in effort, the thrill of keeping a secret, and the despair from realizing that I didn’t actually possess a superpower.
This series was packed with everything I gained from that incident. The only difference from real life was that superpowers really do exist within these pages. One really does develop superpowers through training, the brainstorming of unique training methods is a ton of fun, effort is rewarded in the eventual attainment of a transcendental power, and everything I’ve said so far has been a lie.
Yep.
So yeah, basically, this book is, well, this kinda story. It would make me happier than anything if you would enjoy reading this modest pack of lies.
—A certain day in July 2019, Hagane Kurodome